Typical Sanskrit relative clauses typically include relative pronouns, a syntactic feature absent in Classical Chinese. Consequently, translating the relative clauses of Buddhist texts into Chinese necessitates reconstructing discourse information. This paper investigates the strategies employed in translating Chinese syntax, specifically through examples containing the particle 若 (ruò), and analyzes the interpretive challenges that arise.
To convey the structure of Sanskrit sentences, ancient translators employed right-branching structures to render relative clauses in Chinese, often prefacing these clauses with ruò. However, ruò frequently functions as an introductory particle for conditional or hypothetical clauses in Chinese. Due to linguistic interference, the lines between relative clauses and conditional, hypothetical, or temporal clauses in Chinese-translated Buddhist texts become ambiguous, which may lead to misunderstandings of the overall sentence meaning. This study examines the distinctive features of both Sanskrit and Chinese relative clauses, highlighting the critical need to understand language differences and textual context for the precise interpretation of Chinese Buddhist scriptures. Furthermore, the research underscores the close interrelationship between linguistic structures, the selection of translation terms, and the interpretation of religious texts.
